A beautiful enigma: Chanel’s new Code Coco watch

There are plenty of watches masquerading as jewellery, but a watch masquerading as jewellery that fastens with a handbag clasp? Enter the new Code Coco, so named because of the different codes you must decipher before you can fully appreciate Chanel’s latest piece of wrist candy.

The French fashion house is full of codes, from the quilting known as matelassé on its handbags to the camellia flower, Coco Chanel’s favourite bloom, and several of them are very clearly visible on the new Code Coco watch. The sinuous stainless-steel bracelet is comprised of tiny squares that recall the famous quilted design, and the clasp that sits above the tiny watch hands is in fact an exact replica of the fastener on Chanel’s iconic 2.55 bag.

Part watch, part bracelet and 100% Chanel, I can see the new Code Coco watch appealing to both watch and jewellery lovers alike (£4,125).

Unusually, the new Code Coco watch is fastened on top of the wrist with a handbag clasp - the same one you will find on Chanel's iconic 2.55 bags (£7,600).

The new Chanel Code Coco watch in stainless steel is available with (pictured) or without diamonds (£7,600).

The smooth stainless-steel bracelet on the Code Coco watch is made up of tiny squares that recall the famous quilted design on Chanel's 2.55 handbags (£4,125).

Chanel's new Code Coco watch is chic, understated and very, very cool (£7,600).

Watch our video of Maria Doulton getting hands on with the new Code Coco and you can see just how clever the design is. From the novel way in which this watch opens, by unfastening it on top of, rather than behind, the wrist, to the satisfying click made by the clasp when it snaps shut, I can see it appealing to jewellery and watch lovers alike, not to mention fans of the 2.55 who will want to wear their Code Coco on the same arm as their handbag.

A rectangle of black lacquer runs down the middle, divided in two by the clasp. On one side is the discreet, petite dial, devoid of numbers or markers, on the other a single square diamond. Hidden behind the stainless-steel case is a high-precision quartz movement for effortless maintenance, and you can choose between two models - with our without diamonds around the bezel.

The new Chanel Code Coco watch in stainless steel is available with (pictured) or without diamonds (£7,600).

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Claire has worked in luxury publishing for 20 years as a magazine editor with a focus on watches and jewellery, so she is an old hand at roaming the Baselworld and Couture Vegas fairs, searching out exquisite things. Claire joined ...

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